Olympus E-1 versus Panasonic G9

The Olympus E-1 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in June 2003 and November 2017. The E-1 is a DSLR, while the G9 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 4.9 megapixel, whereas the Panasonic provides 20.2 MP.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-1 and the Panasonic G9 is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the E-1 – represents 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

Body view (E-1 on the left)

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Panasonic G9 is notably smaller (9 percent) than the Olympus E-1. Moreover, the G9 is markedly lighter (11 percent) than the E-1. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras,
which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses.
You can find an overview of optics for the two cameras in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-1) and the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (G9). Mirrorless cameras, such as the G9, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside
a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another
camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table.
Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment.
Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available.
Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting
and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be
found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras
that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Sensor size

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the G9 offers a higher
resolution of 20.2 megapixel, compared with 4.9 MP of the E-1.
This megapixel advantage translates into a 103 percent gain in linear resolution.
On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the G9 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 3.34μm versus 6.78μm for the E-1). However, it should be noted that the G9 is much more recent (by 14 years and 4 months) than the E-1, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the G9 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

Unlike the E-1, the G9 has the capacity to capture high quality composite images (80.6MP) by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).

Sensor resolution

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The G9 indeed provides for movie recording, while the E-1 does not. The highest resolution format that the G9 can use is 4K/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the G9 has an electronic viewfinder (3680k dots), while the E-1 has an optical one.
Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information
into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-1, the Panasonic G9, and comparable cameras. If you need more detail on the specs, you can find comprehensive listings, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

The G9 is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock.
In contrast, the E-1 has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the E-1 was succeeded by the Olympus E-3.

Summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Olympus E-1 and the Olympus E-1? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-1:

Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.

Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.

Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 400) on a single battery charge.

More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in June 2003).

Arguments in favor of the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9:

More detail: Has more megapixels (20.2 vs 4.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 103%.

Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.

High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.

Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 4K/60p video.

More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.

Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 80g or 11 percent) and is thus easier to take along.

More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.

Sharper images: Has stabilization technology build-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.

More modern: Reflects 14 years and 4 months of technical progress since the E-1 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the G9 is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 4 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features.

E-1 04:15 G9

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the E-1 or the G9 handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites. You can find the full text of the reviews, respectively, at cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when refering to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting. If you cannot find the camera you are interested in, please send me an email, and I will try to locate and add the respective data to the application.